Q: Where do you get recipe ideas from? Are all of the recipes on this site yours?

A: We both get inspiration in a lot of different places. Sometimes it’s from eating at a restaurant and trying to create the same idea at home. Sometimes it’s taking something we know and love and giving it a fresh new twist, and often it’s simply because we threw together things we had on hand and it turned out great! Many of the recipes on this site are our own creations, and others we share from our favorite cook books, friends, and food blogs. We make a conscious effort to always include credit where credit is due and we expect others to do the same for us.

Q: What kind of camera equipment do you use?

A: Since starting this blog a few years ago, we have both been through a few cameras, so you will see a variety of photo styles in our posts. Currently, Sara and Kate both use a Canon EOS 5D Mark III. When it comes to food photography, Kate loves her 40 mm lens for overhead and process shots and her 100 mm lens for “beauty” shots. When it comes to people, she likes to use her 100 mm or her 85 mm lens. Sara uses her 24-70mm for just about everything. We both use natural light when possible, but we love our Lowell Ego lights when natural light isn’t available.

If you’re looking for an entry level DSLR Camera, we recommend the Canon Rebel T5i and if you’re interested in prime lenses, the Canon 50mm is a great way to get your feet wet.

Q: I’d like to post one of your recipes on my blog, is that okay? Can I use your photographs?

A: We’re always thrilled when people like our recipes enough to share them! If possible, we prefer that you take your own photographs–if you’d like to use one of our photos, please contact us first. If you use our recipes, we’d prefer that you share the ingredients and link back to our site for the instructions. If in doubt, please shoot us an email!

Q: I’d like to buy your cookbooks, where can I find it?

A: Our books are available online and at all Deseret Book Stores–follow this link to select individual books. You can also find them at selected Costco, Sam’s Club, and Walmart stores, as well as on-line at Amazon and both on-line and in-store at Barnes and Noble. You can always request it at your favorite bookstore as well.

A. Contact the store/person/vendor that you bought the book from–I promise, they’ll be more helpful than we can possibly be.

Q: Are you both Mormon? What does that mean?

A: Yes! We are both members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormon). Our faith plays a big role in who we are and the values that are important to us. We believe in God, we value family, and we have faith in the goodness we see in the world around us. You can learn more about our faith-based beliefs here.

Q: Sara often references Brazil, what is her connection to that country?

A: Sara lived in Curitiba, Brasil for 18 months while serving as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She speaks Portuguese, and fell in love with both the people and the food during her time there. You can find some of her Brazilian-inspired recipes here.

Q: Do you have a recipe for Red Velvet Cake? Or macaroni and cheese?

A. Those are our two most requested recipes and unfortunately, we’re still on the hunt for recipes that are Our Best Bites-worthy!

Q. When a recipe calls for butter, do you use salted or unsalted?

A. Both of us use salted most of the time. In a lot of recipes, particularly baked treats, you can omit or decrease the salt if you use salted butter.

Q. What do T and t mean?

A. T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon.

Q: What’s a cube of butter?

A. We’ve decided this must be largely a regional thing, but it’s just a stick or 1/2 cup of butter.

Q: I friended your personal Facebook account and you left me hanging. What’s up with that?

A. One of the trickiest things about blogging is maintaining the boundaries of our personal and blogging lives. While some bloggers personal Facebook feeds are largely an extension of their blogs, both of us rarely talk Our Best Bites on our personal Facebook accounts, which makes them, well, personal. If we become friends with readers in real life (or through emailing back and forth), we’re more than happy to accept their Facebook friend requests.

Q: Can you tell me the nutritional information for your recipes?

A: While we do post a lot of treats, we both try to be mindful of our health as well as our families’ health. Many of our main dish recipes are actually pretty healthy or can be adapted to be more healthy. Unless it’s something like the Baked Brie–there’s no hope for that fat-filled puppy!

As far as nutritional information goes, we have posted it from time to time. However, we just can’t accommodate every nutritional request–some people want Weight Watchers points, some people want to know the carbs or protein, some people want fat and calories, and some people don’t want any of it. While we do care about healthy recipes, we are primarily a food and cooking blog, not a nutrition blog, and we have found that including the nutritional information not only took up a great deal of time on our end, but it also led to a lot of angry emails.

Q: I’d love to work with you or I represent a company who would love to work with you. Can we talk?

A: You bet! We love collaborating with great brands and products and sharing them with our audience. Just shoot us an email at general@ourbestbites.com